Manuscript on parchment (poor quality) of 1) Herman de Valenciennes, Bible. 2) Herman de Valenciennes, L'Assomption de Notre Dame. Often found, as here, following the poem on the Bible by the same author. 3) Petrus Alphonsus, Disciplina clericalis, followed by three moral precepts. 4) Poem in Anglo-Norman on Genesis. 5) Robert de Ho, Les Enseignements de Robert de Ho. 6) Extract from the romance Partenopeus de Blois. 7) Vie de saint Eustache. 8) Letter of Prester John to Emperor Manuel Comnenus, tr. into Anglo-Norman verse by Raoul d'Arundel; this is the earliest translation of the letter (ante A.D. 1200), and the only one known in French verse. 9) Guillaume le Clerc, Bestiaire. 10) Notes on the influence of the moon. 11) Le voyage du Chevalier Owen au purgatoire de saint Patrice. 12) Wace, Roman de Brut. Some 15th-century glosses, in Middle English and Latin, occur in the text
Description:
In Anglo-Norman and Latin., Script: Written by 6 scribes in large gothic bookhand. Scribe 1: ff. 1r-75r, 111r-130v, 153r-183v (characterized by decorative descenders in final line of text); Scribe 2: ff. 75r-97v (z with small horizontal crossbar); Scribe 3: ff. 98r-110r, 131r-152v, 189r-201v, 212v-216v (exaggerated ascenders in top line of text); Scribe 4: ff. 184r-188v; Scribe 5: second column of f. 201v (crude script); Scribe 6: ff. 202r-212r, 216v-224v (poorly formed)., 4-line initials, divided blue and red (ff. 111r, 153r, 189r), with penwork in red and blue or red only. 3- and 2-line initials, red with blue penwork or vice versa (quire VI lacks flourishes on initials). Paragraph marks in red or blue; some rubrics at beginning of articles. 1-line initials stroked with yellow or red. Ink drawings in margins include King Arthur (f. 189r)., Early repairs with parchment throughout; no loss of text. Waterstains, ff. 221v-224r. Rubbing on f. 224v has caused some loss of text in col. a., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Diced red/brown calf, gold-tooled.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Anglo-Norman poetry, Bestiaries, Christian poetry, French, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Romances, Anglo-Norman
Manuscript on parchment and paper of a multitude of texts. The principal author or collector of the present manuscript is Thomas Butler from Harlow in Essex, born in 1528. He gives the horoscopes of himself and several members of his family. Other contemporary scientists quoted are Johann Stoeffler (1452-1531), Humphrey Llwyd ("Loyde", 1527-1568) and Leonard Digges (c. 1515-c. 1559).
Description:
In English., Script: Written by 5 hands: A (ff. 1r-46v and 75r-84v) writes a bold Gothica Cursiva Formata (Secretary), with headings in Gothica Textualis; B (ff. 47r-62r and 63v-65v): Gothica Cursiva Currens (Secretary), perhaps Butler's hand; C (f. 67r-v): Gothica Cursiva Antiquior Libraria (Anglicana); D (ff. 68r-72v line 2): Gothica Cursiva Libraria (Secretary); E (ff. 72v line 3-74r): Gothica Cursiva Formata (Secretary)., Pen drawings throughout., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Brown leather over cardboard, rebacked. The covers decorated with gilt frames and five gilt stars (4 in the corners and one in the center); spine gilt with inscription "ASTROLOG.". Red edges. Marbled endleaves.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Digges, Leonard, d. ca. 1559., Llwyd, Humphrey, 1527-1568., and Stoeffler, Johann, 1452-1531.
Subject (Topic):
Astrology, English literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Science, and Science, Medieval
In Latin., Script: Written in tiny gothic textura by a single scribe., Good initials for the beginning of each book and prologue, 10- to 4-line, blue or pink, with various shades combined in a single letter, with white highlights, often with prominent floral serifs in blue, pink, red, orange, and yellow, against pink and blue grounds; grounds for body of letter and serifs in opposite colors. Elaborate descenders, ascenders, as serifs, but often with biting dragons. Letters filled with curling floral motifs, often with dragon-head terminals, and biting dragons. The initials on f. 214r (Esther) and f. 220r (Job) are more elaborate than the others. 2-line initials for each chapter, blue or red, with red or blue flourishes. Running headings and chapter numbers in red and blue, with flourishes. Rubrics throughout., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Printed vellum fragment, in large gothic letters, with portion of John 4.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Versions, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of a common-place book. The main texts of the manuscript, which are primarily devotional in nature, were written in East Anglia by an unidentified scribe toward the end of the 15th century; a second individual, identified as Robert Melton of Stuston in Suffolk, added numerous accounts and notes at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century
Description:
Robert Melton was the co-executor of the estate of John Cornwallis (d. 1506), Lord of the Manors of Brome, Stuston, Okley, and Thranston, whose family possessed Brome Hall from early in the 15th to the 19th century., In Middle English., Watermarks: similar to Briquet Armoiries 1038 for part of quire I and all of II; similar to Briquet Main 11399 for remainder of quire I, all of quires III and IV, part of V; similar to Briquet Navire 11971 on ff. 68, 79 only; similar to Briquet Lettre P 8586 on ff. 72, 75; similar to Briquet Main 11152 on ff. 73, 74; unidentified watermark on f. 81., Script: Written primarily by two persons: Scribe 1) ff. 1r-26v, 28r-44r, 68r-77r, 79v, 80v-81r. Written in small, well formed Anglicana script with first line of each text in formal bookhand. Scribe 2: ff. 27r-v, 45r-60r, 62v-67v, 77v-78v, 80r, 81v. Written in a large sprawling script; no ornamentation. A third person added art. 17 at a later time., Only scribe 1 included decoration. Initials in red, 4- to 2-line, with penwork flourishes in brown; initial strokes in red. Portions of text underlined in red; rhyming verses often bracketed, in red, at end of lines. On f. 14v, a fine half-page drawing in red and brown of the monogram IHS which incorporates both a heart pierced by a lance and vine patterns and tendrils. Art. 4 is illustrated with drawings of dice, in red, in outer margins., First leaves heavily stained; lower right corner waterstained ff. 1-43., and Binding: Between 1490 and 1500. Original sewing with long stitches through a thick rectangular piece of leather on the outside of a vellum wrapper. Contemporary scroll design added to upper cover with unidentified inscription, in red, mostly illegible.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Melton, Robert.
Subject (Topic):
Devotional literature, English (Middle)., English poetry, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment (thick, fuzzy on hair side) of a Book of Hours, followed by 3 short devotional texts in French
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in two styles of script: large gothic bookhands, often with only 3-4 words per line, by three scribes for ff. 1r, 2r-91r, 93r-115v, respectively; Anglicana scripts for ff. 1v, 91v-92v (added prayers)., The codex, now in fragmentary condition with no miniatures extant, contains a sequence of historiated initials, some badly rubbed. Large historiated initials, 3-line, pink or blue with white designs on blue square ground framed with gold; both initial and frame edged in black; figures on gold ground, often rubbed and flaked; elongated dragons extend into margins for ascenders, as in initial D. Small historiated initials, 2-line, of similar designs and colors, but on cusped gold grounds. Other text divisions marked by 2-line initials, pink, orange, blue with simple foliage motifs in the same colors and yellow, all with designs in white and on square or cusped gold grounds that often extend far into margins. Initials on ff. 93-115 are somewhat more delicate in appearance and presumably by a different hand than those on ff. 2-91. 1-line initials in red with blue penwork designs alternate with opposing color scheme. Elaborate line-fillers, including fish and heads of long-beaked beasts, for litany (art. 5). Headings in red, ff. 2-91 only., Manuscript has been heavily trimmed with loss of marginal decoration; staining, rubbing throughout affects illumination., and Binding: 19th-20th centuries, England. Rigid vellum case with note on spine "MS. Circa 1400". Red edges. Bound by Birdsell and Son (Northampton, 1792 and later).
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Devotional literature, French, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment (thick and furry) of Sir Gilbert Dethick, Book of Arms. Illustrations of coats of arms, in color, one per folio recto or verso; above each except the first, the name of the bearer, as given below. No mottoes given. Dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603).
Description:
In English., Script: Introduction and labels of illustrations in cursive with loops, by one scribe., Each shield enclosed in shaded pink border designed to look like worked metal, and surmounted by a jousting helm in profile, mantling gules doubled argent with gold tassels; wreath in colors from shield. Only shields (in up to 17 quarters) and crests vary. Slight variations from this scheme on f. 2r (royal arms) and f. 3r (mantling sable doubled argent). Fair quality of workmanship., Bookblock detached from the binding. Illustration badly smeared on f. 11r, slightly smeared f. 28r., and Binding: ca. 1873. Gold-stamped red goatskin case.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain., Connecticut, and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Dethick, Gilbert, Sir. and Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603.
Subject (Topic):
Devices (Heraldry), Heraldry, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript, on vellum, in a single hand, of a book of hours according to the Use of Sarum. The Latin text is followed by a brief treatise in Middle English on prayer, titled "Here begynneth in what man[ner] preyer sholde be vsed." The volume concludes with prayers in Latin and Middle English
Alternative Title:
Book of hours
Description:
In Latin and Middle English., Description of volume, in Latin, signed WA.1804 on recto of front flyleaf., Ownership inscription of Jone Ffyn on verso of front flyleaf., Calendar contains three notes concerning births and a marriage of Cheyne family members., Layout: single columns of 17 lines., Script: gothic bookhand., Decoration: three historiated initials with full-page borders; one smaller historiated initials and seven large foliate initials with borders. many smaller initals in gold with blue penwork or in blue with red penwork., and Binding: modern red velvet; red morocco box.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church. and Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Devotional literature, English (Middle), English prose literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment (thick) of 1) Notes on the baronial Clare family of Gloucester, in chart format, from a manuscript contemporary with or slightly earlier than the main text (art. 3). Name of the appropriate King of England appears on the left in a red circle [concludes with King Edward IV, 1327-77], and a short history of certain members of the Clare family are added on the right. 2) Genealogical tree, added between 1450 and 1500, establishing the claims of King Edward IV (1461-83) to the kingdoms of England, France, Castile and Leon. 3) Brut Chronicle, up to 1419, but the final leaf of text has been torn out
Description:
In Middle English., Script: Written by a single scribe in neat Anglicana formata. Running titles and marginal notes added by later hands., Illuminated initial, 6-line, on f. 1r, pink on gold ground, with blue, green, and pink acanthus leaves, and white highlights; full bar-border with swirling acanthus leaves in same colors as for initial; black hair-spray in outer margins. Heading and chapter numbers in red. Small initials, 2-line, blue with red flourishes, for most chapters. Paragraph marks alternate red and blue., Parchment is well thumbed and worn, especially f. 1r; some loss of text., and Binding: 17th-18th centuries. Covered in brown calf, blind-tooled, with a brick-colored, gold-tooled label, probably a later addition.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Clare family. and Edward IV, King of England, 1442-1483.
Subject (Topic):
English literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript on parchment of 1) Robert of Bridlington, Catena on Romans, begins imperfectly at 1. 24; missing Romans 9.17-21 (and portions of 9.16, 22). 2) Robert of Bridlington, Catena on 1 Corinthians; missing 7.39-15.44. 3) Robert of Bridlington, Catena on 2 Corinthians; ends abruptly at 12.20.
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in a neat gothic bookhand by three scribes. Scribe 1) ff. 1r-2v; 2) 3r-22v, 51r-71v; 3) ff. 22v-50v, 72r-96v., Large elegant initial, 26-line, in red penwork, on f. 72r; smaller similar initial, 16-line, in green with red highlights, also on f. 72r; simple decorative letters, 14- and 6-line, green and red respectively, on f. 51r. Quotations from Bible and marginal notes referring to authors cited, in red. Modern illuminated title page inserted as f. iii: "Catena Commentariorum S. S. Patrum, in Epistolis ad Romanos et Corinthios. M. S. Saeculi XIV"., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Russia leather, blind-tooled, over wooden boards; 4 metal bosses on each cover; leather thong.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Robert, of Bridlington, 1167.
Subject (Topic):
Catenae, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Scholasticism
Manuscript on parchment of 1) Dares Phrygius, De excidio Troiae historia, in the Latin translation ascribed to Cornelius Nepos, followed by the lists of those killed by the heroes on both sides. 2) Geoffrey of Monmouth (Galfredus Monemutensis, d. 1154), Historia regum Britanniae. 3) De origine Normannorum, a short history of Normandy up to Henry I, King of England and Duke of Normandy (d. 1135). The main part of this text derives from Hugh of Saint-Victor (Hugo de Sancto Victore, d. 1141), Excerptiones allegoricae, X, 10 (PL 177.284) and is followed by a short list of Dukes of Normandy. 4) Three unidentified poems on the miracles of St. Benedict, followed by rhymed liturgical prayers to be said in the presence of the relics of the saint, and another poem on St. Benedict. This manuscript, which from the beginning contained all four texts described above, was copied in a Benedictine abbey
Description:
In Latin., Script: Carefully copied by one hand in Northern Gothica Textualis Libraria., Headings and running titles in red, many now poorly legible. Heightening of majuscules in red. Large decorated Romanesque initials, red or green, at the head of artt. 1 and 2; 2- or 3-line plain initials alternately in red and blue and 1-line initials in the same colours in the middle of the text in art. 2; on f. 91r, at the beginning of Book XI, there is a 3-line flourished initial in blue with red penwork, which may be added later. 3-line red plain initial at the beginning of art. 3. 2-line initials in art. 4, of the same kind as in artt. 1-2., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Sprinkled calf over cardboard; the covers have gilt edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., Great Britain, Normandy (France), and Troy (Extinct city)
Subject (Name):
Dares, Phrygius. and Benedictines.
Subject (Topic):
Devotional literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin literature, Medieval and modern, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
